Yesterday was rough. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so my legs didn’t benefit from restorative sleep. That’s important because without restorative sleep, my pain level never goes down, and I’m unable to function properly the next day.
Most days, with or without restorative sleep, I don’t even brush my damn hair. I just use my fingers to pull up my hair into a ponytail. I need to take care of myself as well as Dad, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy.
Taking care of Dad is very important to me, and I need to be able to do what needs to be done. He is doing better now that he’s walking a little. He’s using his walker to get around and doesn’t need me to be right there by his side, as I was for the first week or so after he came home from the hospital. Even though he’s doing better, I still need to be able to fix meals, do dishes, laundry, etc. I’m hoping that soon, I will be able to get him in the shower. I’ve not been too confident about that because I can’t do much to prevent him from falling in the shower! God forbid anyone offer to help.
Yesterday, I was exhausted when I got up, and my pain level was sky high. Performing even the simplest tasks was a painful experience. I was in tears at one point, and Dad felt bad that he was putting me through this. I reassured him that none of this was his fault. It must be difficult for him not to be self-reliant like he used to be. It sucks to get old. He will be 89 next month.
When Dad was in bed for the night, I watched a little TV and got ready for bed. I hoped for a good night’s sleep, and that’s what I got! Almost 8 hours of sleep did my legs some good! I feel much better this morning, and I even made breakfast quesadillas. I hope tonight is a good one, too.
Wish me luck. I need all I can get!
Being Aunt Debbie 
Have you looked into shower chairs for the elderly? I thought Medicare provided for stuff like that, as long as you get a request from your dad’s doctor saying he/she feels your dad needs the shower chair (or whatever supplies you fee he would benefit from at the time). You may want to look into that. Also, look into whether Medicare would pay for having grab bars installed onto your shower walls. That also may be something that requires a doctor’s approval. Just some suggestions.
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WE have shower chairs and a shower bench. We have grab bars, too. The issue is that we don’t have a hand-held so Dad will want to stabd up to rinse off and it wouldn’t take much for him to fall. Unfortunately, I don’t move fast enough to catch his fall and prevent injury. When he’s stronger on his own, then I will feel more confident in the both of us!
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Also: Contractor #2 built our shower to my specifications. It’s a walk-in, with hand-held, and it’s huge! I can’t wait to shower in it! It will sure be better than the tub-shower unit we have now. It’s a bitch for me and Dad, too, to step over that tub to get in!
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Oh my friend, I’m sorry that you lacked serious sleep the other night. I know when I’m up and can’t get to bed, it affects me the next day. But I can’t image what it’s like with your mobility issues. I’m so happy that you got a full 8 hours of sleep last night, thank God 🙏. I’m not getting notifications for your posts, I’m like WTF Word Press!?! Now I’m going to go back and look on your page because this one popped up but, nothing else, ugh. I hope you can sleep better tonight my friend.
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I had about 3 hours of sleep last night, so my ass is dragging. I’ve got HVAC guy and a Home Health nurse coming for Dad today. I hope I can stay awake. Lol. I’m not having issues with WP. I hope you get yours figured out.
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